Filling the Ache
by XxxxKitKatxxxX
Summary: A broken-down car in the middle of nowhere means that Naruto has the perfect excuse to offer Hinata sanctuary-do they find it in each other's arms? (If you like a good romantic trope or three, this is the fic for you!) AU - Set in mid 20th century US
1. Chapter 1

Hinata was having a bad day. A bad week. A bad year.

Her car—a normally dependable coupe—had blown a gasket or something. Sasuke had always taken care of those things for her (or, rather, taking it to someone else who could take care of it), but now she was stranded on the side of the road in the middle of _nowhere _with no idea what was wrong, let alone how to fix it.

"Come ON!" she yelled and she kicked the useless side of her useless car with her useless kitten-heeled foot.

* * *

Naruto fought down the window of his old pickup. It was getting hot out, a sign that the summer months were coming on strong. He was on his way back from the feed store across the one-light town, picking up some grains for the chickens. He saw Old Man Teuchi's fill-up station ahead, closed for the evening, and spotted a rather distressed young woman (judging from the way she was pacing back and forth behind her car while biting anxiously at her fingernails).

_Definitely a city girl,_ he thought from the way she was dressed in a dark skirt and impractical shoes. _Looks like she's lost._

He decided to pull in and lend a hand. He got out of his truck but the moment he shut his door, she went off.

"Come ON!" she mumbled in a desperate voice, kicking the side of her door ineffectually.

"Whoa, there. I don't think that's doing too much but messing up your shoes, ma'am. You need a hand?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Whoa, there. I don't think that doing too much but messing up your shoes, ma'am. You need a hand?" said a gravelly male voice behind her.

She jolted and looked up from her lashes quickly, put off by the sudden appearance of a strange man with no one else for miles around. She shifted her now sore foot back in a subtle move that put her at arm's length from him rather than almost nose to nose.

He was…big, for one. She was used to compact men in tight suits with ties that looked like they were strangling them. Maybe that's why Sasuke had been so silent and brooding all the time.

But this man was the opposite. Tall—even in a relaxed slouch, he was tall—and broad-shouldered, with a loose, partially unbuttoned orange and navy flannel shirt coming out of the haphazard tuck into faded jeans. A tailor's nightmare, really. But certainly not hers.

He had sun-bleached hair that looked like it'd never met a comb, a tan to match, premature laugh lines, and a set of piercing Indiana-sky blue eyes.

"Anou...wha-what I need is a mechanic...but thanks...anyways…?" She said slowly, so caught in his hyper-focused gaze, that her sentence ended sounding like a question.

* * *

She seemed startled by his appearance, but replied,"Anou...wha-what I need is a mechanic, but thanks...anyways."

_A bit demure_, he thought. Not like the spitfires that seemed to sprout from the cornfields around here. Like Sakura, whose bubblegum-colored locks practically screamed for the attention she endlessly craved. And he'd given it all too willingly.

But this woman had a quiet, searing gaze. He felt trapped by those eyes. They were the most prominent feature of her face—large, pale, and shining. He decided right there that he'd better make this quick, otherwise…

"Well, I'm nothin' but a farmer, but I know my way around a wrench. Mind if I take a look?"

_Well, shit. Too late now._


	3. Chapter 3

"Well, I'm nothin' but a farmer, but I know my way around a wrench. Mind if I take a look?"

She opened her mouth slightly to tell him that she didn't need his help—her father had drilled into her a sense of prideful self-reliance—but looking at his large, calloused hands, thought better of it.

"No, I don't mind at all...Th-thank you very much." She moved to let him pass toward the engine. He sidled over to the front of her car, popping the hood expertly.

She couldn't help admiring the bulging forearms that peeked out from his rolled cuffs and how his dusty jeans clung to his thick legs…and backside. She caught herself biting her tongue and shook her head a little at herself, a faint blush forming underneath her foundation.

"So does my knight in shining armor have a name?"

* * *

"No, I don't mind at all. Thank you very much."

He slid by her, careful not to let his gaze linger too long. _Focus,_ he thought. _You ain't got no chance with this woman. So better just calm down._

He popped the hood and was met with a wave of heat and steam, confirming his suspicions.

"So does my knight in shining armor have a name?" she asked in her silvery voice.

"My name's Naruto, ma'am. Pleased to meet you."

He turned to look at her, and again was stunned at how beautiful she was. She was small, but compelling. She radiated intensity, like her gaze alone could melt you. And those damn eyes…They dared you to disappoint.

He was a little unwilling at what he knew he had to say next.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news. Your car wasn't too well prepared for this heat, so it looks like you've overheated. And with as bad as it looks, I don't think you're going anywhere anytime soon. You don't have a place to stay nearby, do ya?"


	4. Chapter 4

"You don't have a place to stay nearby, do ya?"

Her eyes rolled back in her head and she rubbed the heel of her palm across her forehead in a vain effort to relieve some of the strain. Her other hand moved to her hip as she began to try to think up a contingency plan. She thought about how her skirt was beginning to stick and she really just wanted a shower in this godforsaken heat.

"N-no, I don't...I was driving to UMA, University of Michigan that is, which is still…"

"7 hours away," Naruto supplied.

She blanched. She must have estimated her travel time wrong or gotten entirely lost. "I'm supposed to be giving a lecture...tomorrow. I guess I need to call a cab...since I don't have time to wait for a tow...but I don't see any pay phones here…" She trailed off, flushing at how much she'd been thinking aloud.

"Yeah, you picked a pretty bad place to break down," he said. "There ain't nothin' outside of Pete's and the feed store for miles. Seein' as they're both closed for supper, I could give you a ride back to my place. I've got a phone you could use."

* * *

She was hesitating, he could tell she was thinking carefully about what he was saying before she simply replied, "Okay."

"My truck is right over there. You need me to grab anythin' important from your car for you?"

"Not really," she said with a sigh. "I only packed one bag, so all I have is that and my handbag."

"Alright, I can carry that for you." He picked up her bag through the open rear window and motioned for her to lead on. She walked ahead, and he got his first good look at her.

_She is gorgeous, _he thought. He let his eyes wander down her back, along her waist to her legs. She was wearing a plum-colored skirt that swayed with her hips as she walked. She had soft curves, the type that made you want to wrap your arms around her and press 'em to you. Her legs were long and smooth, and he couldn't decide if she worked hard to be this beautiful, or if she was simply born this way. His eyes wandered back up her waist to her back. She had her midnight-colored hair up in a makeshift bun, a testament to the heat. But, it gave him a view of her back, and the way her collarbones rose up to meet her neck that made her look dainty, but strong. She was wearing a loose fitting cream blouse that blew in the wind, and every time it blew strong enough, he could see the outline of her figure and felt a stirring feeling in a place long forgotten.

_Good god, _he thought. _What is happening to me?_

They reached the truck, and he set her bag in the bed. He walked around with her and opened her door, mainly because it liked to get stuck, he told himself.

"Just hop on in, and be careful," he said. "That seat's got a hole in it, and it's pretty dusty."


	5. Chapter 5

"I've got a phone you could use."

If she hadn't been so dead set on presenting at UMA she might've tried her luck some other, less reckless way, but for some reason she was afraid of being left alone to her own devices on the side of the road more than she was of being alone with this man. So she just said, "Okay."

"My truck is right over there. You need me to grab anythin' important from your car for you?"

"Not really," she sighed. "I only packed one bag, so all I have is that and my handbag."

"Alright. I can carry that for you." He deftly reached in her open backseat window and picked up her bag, motioning for her to lead on.

She walked ahead towards a rusty, old pickup that looked like it had risen out of the earth rather than built in a Ford factory.

They reached the truck, and he set her bag in the bed. He walked around with her and opened her door, which surprised her. She was too used to slinking into cabs after Sasuke, drunk on him and Chardonnay. _Stupid, stupid, stupid._

"Just hop on in, and be careful," Naruto said, bringing her back to the present. "That seats got a hole in it, and it's pretty dusty."

She did have to hop, holding onto the door handle in order to make the considerable distance upward into the pickup. Naruto closed the door for her, thankfully, since she wasn't sure she could reach.

She smoothed her skirt under her and sat down. It was indeed quite dusty. But a free ride was a free ride.

She watched him walk back around the hood of the truck and then easily step up into the cab. The small space seemed suddenly full with his mass and musky scent and presence. She squirmed a little in her seat.

"My-my name is Hinata, by the way...It's nice to meet you." She struck out her hand, which—to her mortification—shook slightly.

* * *

He watched her literally hop in, then closed her door and walked around the truck. He tried to act calm, but something inside him was going haywire. This woman was driving him crazy. He climbed in and closed his door. He was suddenly somehow _more _aware of her in the enclosed space of the truck cab. He felt like he couldn't take a full breath.

"My-my name is Hinata, by the way. It's nice to meet you." She put her hand out, and before he even realized it, he reached out—maybe a little too fast—and held it. Her palm was smooth as silk, his large, calloused hand encompassing hers easily.

"Pleasure's all mine."

_Let go, idiot._

He pulled his hand back, maybe a little too late, but she didn't seem too offput. Actually, she was looking at him with an odd gleam…

He turned to the wheel and started the truck with an embarrassing roar. He backed out of the lot and started down the road toward the farm.

"I live a few miles from here past the fields. It won't take long to get there, fifteen minutes or so," he told her above the thrum of his previously faultless truck. He'd never felt ashamed of it before. He glanced over in her direction, and almost couldn't take his eyes off of her. She had taken her ebony hair down, letting it snake out around her face to blow in the wind.

This was going to be the longest drive of his life.


	6. Chapter 6

"I live a few miles from here past the fields. It won't take long to get there, fifteen minutes or so," explained Naruto.

She took her hair down from the headache-inducing bun she'd thrown it up in earlier. The wind lifted it off her shoulders and sent tendrils floating around her. She tried to smooth it down but in vain, so she gave up.

She peeked over at Naruto every few seconds, but that same nervousness from before stopped her from saying anything. They rode quietly until he turned off onto a dirt road that jostled her so much that she had to hold onto the seat and the ceiling of the laughed and she cut him an impulsive glare, out of a defensive reflex.

He parked the ancient truck and came to open her door (she tried to do it herself but it wouldn't budge). Looking at the uneven gravel, her precarious heels, and her relatively short frame, she wondered briefly how she was going to manage without spraining an ankle or impaling her feet. Before it became an issue, Naruto grabbed her firmly by the waist with both hands, long fingers wrapping around to reach the small of her back, and lifted her out of the truck rather than let her jump down. She put her hands on his shoulders for balance instinctively.

"Tha-that wasn't necessary," she mumbled without thinking. _Kami_, those hands on her waist had almost burned her with both the genuine heat his skin radiated and the flush it brought to her own.

She stepped away toward the house, brushing her skirt down out of habit and nerves. "S-so is your...wife...home...?"

* * *

He pulled onto the dirt road leading to his house, and the truck jerked with the impact. He saw Hinata jump and brace against the ceiling of the cab. He couldn't help but laugh. He parked and went around to her door. He opened it again—this time more for the gesture, he admitted to himself—and noticed her shoes again.

_Yeah,_ he thought, _no way she's jumping down in those._ But he had an idea.

He grabbed her by the waist, hoisted her out of the truck and gently set her down, close enough that he could see the almost lavender sheen of her gray eyes. He could feel the downward curve toward her hips under her blouse, and had to fight to keep from grabbing her tighter. He let his hands linger a second before she said, "That wasn't necessary," and backed up a step.

She turned away quickly and walked toward the house.

"So is your...wife home?"

"No, ma'am, on account of the fact that I ain't married. Just me all by my lonesome."

He followed behind her, letting his eyes travel across her body again, stopping briefly on her waist and hips, and taking a good look at her behind. If he let this woman into his house and didn't at least _try _to get to know her better, he wouldn't be able to live with himself.

She stopped at the door and waited for him to pass. He led her inside and set her stuff down. He motioned through the archway into the kitchen.

"The phone's in there, on the wall beside the fridge. If you'd like, I'll get you a glass of iced tea."


	7. Chapter 7

"No, ma'am, on account of the fact that I ain't married. Just me all by my lonesome."

_Oh. Unmarried._ She felt herself relax, though she hadn't known she'd been tense in the first place. Then she gulped as she fully realized the implications of the latter half of his statement.

Hinata stopped at the door and waited for him to pass. He led her inside and set her case down. He motioned to the kitchen.

"The phone's in there, on the wall beside the fridge. If you'd like, I'll get you a glass of iced tea."

"Tea would be lovely...I was stuck out there for a good while. Thank you again."

She walked over to the phone mounted on the wall, picked the receiver up, and dialed 411. While it rang, she looked around.

The kitchen was surprisingly neat and tidy. Sort of sparse—a man definitely lived here—but still nice. There were quaint curtains on the window embroidered with orange, red, and yellow autumn leaves that left her wondering who had added such a feminine touch.

The operator asked her where she wanted to be transferred. "The nearest cab station," she replied.

"From where?"

"Uh…" She looked to Naruto for help.

"Leavenworth," he replied.

"Leavenworth," she parrotted.

"Please hold," came the operator's taciturn reply. The phone rang again and after a full minute, a very flustered-sounding person picked up.

"Who's callin' at this hour? Isn't supper sacred anymore? I slaved away for two hours to put food on the table and this is what I get?" said a shrill female voice.

"Oh! I-I'm so sorry...the operator must have misplaced the transfer. I didn't mean to disturb you," Hinata quickly apologized.

"Humph...well, never you mind. Operator, huh? Most folks around here know our number by heart. You callin' for a cab?"

"Y-yes, I am, please."

"TAZUNA!" yelled the woman on the other end of the phone. Grumbling could be heard in the background. "Because I _said so_, you useless bag of bones!" More grumbling. Then a new voice, this one deeper in timbre but by no means more pleasant.

"Hello?"

"Yes, sir. I'm calling to request your cab services."

"Mhm, mhm. When? Where?"

"Now…? I need to get to Ann Arbor as soon as possible."

"Well, it ain't happenin' tonight darlin'," came the man's drawling reply.

"Uhm...may I ask how come?"

At this Naruto, who had been mutely listening to Hinata's side of the conversation, motioned for her to hand the receiver over.

"Tazuna? Hey there, it's Naruto. Have you been in the pints again?"

Hinata watched on apprehensively, clutching her hands together and intertwining her fingers to stop her nervous habit of fidgeting. Finally, Naruto said, "Alright, well get some rest and try to sleep it off. See you on Sunday, Tazuna." Then he hung up.

"Well, it doesn't look like you're goin' anywhere tonight."

"Excuse me?" Her mind reeled, trying to grasp a solution.

"He's completely drunk and for the most part doesn't do runs outside of a 60-mile radius."

"I-is there anyone else?"

"...No," he replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Do you think he'll be sober enough by morning? I have to be at the university by 2 pm tomorrow at the latest…" _But I was trying to put my best foot forward and be early. _To 'schmooze them,' as Sasuke put it, so they might consider hiring her for a tenured position_. _Like the position her cousin Neji had at Columbia.

"I really wouldn't trust him. He does most of his business shuttling other drunks around, so they don't have high standards."

"S-so there's n-no point then..." She could feel herself losing control, her stutter getting worse with agitation. Hot tears rushed into her eyes, but she bowed her head, steeling herself and slowly they went away.

"I wouldn't say that. I'll drive you at first light since it's so important to ya. I'll get you where you need to go," he volunteered. "Believe it!" he added, one hand on his hip, the other pointing his thumb toward his broad, toothy grin.

"N-no, please, you've done so much for me already! And though I am s-so grateful, I couldn't possibly impose on you further! My problems are not your concern." She felt the color in her cheeks rising with every word. She couldn't accept such generosity from him when he'd already went out of his way to help her.

"Nonsense! How could I leave you alone out there? How could I not offer when I know I'm the perfect man for the job? Besides, once I've said I'll do something I have to follow through. That's just the way I am. I never break my word and I never back down, so you might as well just say yes without a fight." His voice sounded so earnest and sincere that she was left speechless.

"Sumimasen," she said automatically, accidentally falling back into her native language. "I-I mean, thank you. R-really." _How could I refuse such an argument? I would hate to go against such a force. _What a surprising, impressive man he was turning out to be.

A new thought occurred to her. "I-I don't suppose Leavenworth has a hotel...?"

He looked at her sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "'Fraid not. But you could stay here tonight, ya know," Naruto suggested quietly.


	8. Chapter 8

He tried not to listen to her conversation, but he was too anxious that she might be leaving. He tried to busy himself by fixing her a drink and tidying, but when he heard her ask, "Uhm, may I ask how come?" in a deflated yet confused tone, his heart jumped.

At this he motioned for her to hand the receiver over.

"Tazuna? Hey there, it's Naruto. Have you been in the pints again?"

She watched him, clutching her hands together. After discerning that Tazuna had, once again, drowned his sorrows, he said, "Alright, well get some rest and try to sleep it off. See you on Sunday, Tazuna." Then he hung up.

"Well, it doesn't look like you're goin' anywhere tonight," he told her in a regretful tone that he didn't fully feel.

"Excuse me?" She looked at him with those glistening lavender eyes as if imploring him to have a different answer.

"He's completely drunk and for the most part doesn't do runs outside of a 60-mile radius," he supplied, knowing full well that the last bit was circumstantial evidence since Tazuna didn't have many reasons to travel that far out of town.

"I-is there anyone else?"

"No," he said honestly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Do you think he'll be sober enough by morning then? I have to be at the university by 2 pm tomorrow at the latest."

If that was the case, he wondered why she seemed so hell bent earlier on getting there today. "I really wouldn't trust him. He does most of his business shuttling other drunks around, so they don't have high standards." Again, he wasn't exactly lying, but he was laying it on a bit thick because he didn't want Tazuna driving her. _I don't like the idea of him being responsible for her, of him being alone with her for that long in a close quarters vehicle..._

"So there's no point then." She bowed her head and clenched her fists at her side. He didn't exactly understand why she felt so strongly about getting to a stuffy school, but he hated seeing her so upset. He wanted to fix it.

"I wouldn't say that. I'll drive you at first light since it's so important to ya. I'll get you where you need to go," he volunteered. "Believe it!" he added, gesturing to his hopefully reassuring grin.

"No, please, you've done so much for me already! And though I am so grateful, I couldn't possibly impose on you further! My problems are not your concern."

The last comment stung. Was she telling him to keep his nose out of it? Well, too bad. He was involved now. And he didn't want her to trust her luck with the likes of Tazuna. Not when he was perfectly willing and available. Probably too willing.

"Nonsense! How could I leave you alone out there?" He couldn't and wouldn't. "How could I not offer when I know I'm the perfect man for the job?" The main qualification was owning an automobile and being sober, but still. "Besides, once I've said I'll do something I have to follow through. That's just the way I am. I never break my word and I never back down, so you might as well just say yes without a fight." He wasn't taking no for an answer anyway.

"Sumimasen," she said, which confused him momentarily. "I-I mean, thank you. R-really." He nodded fervently, waving off her gratitude.

Her next train of thought caught him off guard. "I-I don't suppose Leavenworth has a hotel...?"

He looked at her sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. He cursed this town, but secretly thanked god that he lived here. "'Fraid not." The growling voice that resided in the back of his mind—not his conscience, the other, greedier one—told him this was his chance. "But you could...stay here...tonight, ya know?" Naruto suggested quietly.

She was looking at him, expressionless. He couldn't tell if she was appreciative or repulsed.

"I mean, uh, I've got an extra room in the back. My godfather normally uses it if he comes to visit, but it's all yours if you'll stay," he said, his voice a little too shaky. "If you need, if you want, that is," he amended hastily.

_Way to go, _he thought.


	9. Chapter 9

"I mean, uh, I've got an extra room in the back. My godfather normally uses it if he comes to visit, but it's all yours if you'll stay. If you need, if you want, that is," he explained.

She was staring in his direction, but her thoughts were elsewhere. She had been overwhelmed by the idea that she might miss her conference and she was still a bit upset that she wouldn't be able to socialize with the faculty beforehand, but none of that could be helped. Meanwhile, here was a stranger—albeit a kind, rugged, yet boyishly handsome one—who was offering to solve all her problems and give her shelter for the night.

The voice in her head that sounded like her father scolded her in a tone that was worse than a shout. You can't stay here with this burly ruffian!

But what other choice do I have? she argued inwardly. Her car was out of commission, the cab service was closed, and there were no immediately feasible alternatives.

"I will, arigatōgo," she said, then amended, "I mean, thank you so much."

His head tilted to the side, but she didn't notice because she was already walking toward her case. He got to it first though, picking it up and leading her down the hall to a small, neat bedroom with a pink patchwork quilt on the bed.

"It ain't much, but it's home," Naruto said, shrugging his broad shoulders.

She came in behind him, then turned to smile up at him sincerely. "It's perfect. I really appreciate it." A thought struck her. A way to repay him for his kindness. "Can I give you something in return?"


	10. Chapter 10

He looked at her, surprised. A few less than gentlemanly thoughts crossed his mind for a split second, but he pushed them from his mind as quickly as they came.

"No ma'am. It seems you've got enough goin' on right now. You don't need to worry about me." He smiled widely, trying to reassure her.

"Really," she said, placing her manicured hand on his forearm, "I'd like to show you my thanks. May I prepare a meal for us to share? It's the very least I could do in return for your hospitality."

Naruto's other hand drifted to his neck with a mind of its own and rubbed in an effort to alleviate some of the tension. "Sure! That sounds great. I'm sure you're a better cook that I am. Though that's not sayin' much." Idiot! You practically just insulted her!

She folded her hands in front of her abdomen. "Before I start, I'd like to wash up, if that's alright," she said, her eyes trained on the floor. She wanted to...wash up. Right. Gulp.

"O-of course! The bathroom's right next door, and you're welcome to use the shower. They're towels in the closet." He hesitated a bit, wracking his brain to make sure he'd mentioned everything, nodding to himself vigorously as he finally said, "If you need anything, let me know."

She inclined her head forward once, and said in a quiet voice, "Thank you."

Naruto turned around on his heel and left the room, closing the door firmly behind him. He walked to the kitchen, and started pacing back and forth. What is happening to me? I'm behaving like a mule in heat.

He went outside to take care of his evening chores and take his mind off of things-off of her-but all he could think about was his hands on her waist, and the way she had looked up at him from her lashes.

It had been a minute or two when he realized he had gotten nowhere with his chores. All he had done was walk in circles by the chicken coop. Naruto physically shook himself, spreading his arms out from his torso and then bringing his hands together with a resounding clap that sent reverbrations from his fingers to his shoulders, snapping himself back to earth. He'd never needed grounding before. Focus, dobe.

He strode dutifully toward the shed to get feed for his hens and soon lost himself in the familiar rhythm of his work. Haul this, plant that, repeat. He hadn't realized how monotonous his life had become in the past year, what with Sakura gone off to the West Coast chasing god-knows-what. And Jiraiya...

But now, with the welcome disruption of a lovely, pearl-eyed young woman currently in his shower, it became apparent how lonely he'd been.

As he dusted off his hands against his jeans, Naruto admitted that he needed to wash up himself.

He walked back inside and down the hall purposefully, sure that he'd given her ample time to finish grooming. He got to the door, which was slightly ajar, and stopped. He stood there for a moment before he worked up the courage to push the door open slowly, knock softly, and say, "You in there, ma'am?"


	11. Chapter 11

Hinata sat on the bed and looked around, not really seeing anything, simply trying to process her past hour of relatively poor decision-making within the silence Naruto's absence granted. After a few minutes, she sighed, rubbing her tired eyes with the heel of her palms, then put her hands behind her neck to unbutton her shirt collar. She pulled the blouse off, then bent to unfasten her heels, kicked them off, and peeled her stockings from her sweat-slicked legs. She rose to unzip her pleated skirt, which was stuck to her like glue, and shimmied out of it, stepping out of the pool it created at her feet.

She strode to the closet in her underpinnings, feeling the itch to purify herself and get her bearings beneath the shower's warm water. No matter the season, she could never bear a less than scorching shower.

She wrapped herself in a worn, white towel she found in the closet and was about to head to the bathroom down the hall when she happened to glance out the window.

There was Naruto, looking like he was plucked from a rural-themed September calendar spread (or an advertisement for John Deer). Hinata watched him walk the yard with the kind of surety that comes with practice. He looked almost graceful, out in the wide-open space, the sun lighting his bright blonde hair with its setting rays. She absentmindedly admired the way his long legs stretched out ahead of him, the way his bent arms framed him, the way his shoulders so naturally gave way to his lean neck.

For a moment, she wished he would spare a glance at her in return. But she quickly shook that thought away and shut the blinds for when she came back to dress. How hadn't she noticed the open view before?

Hinata grabbed her toiletries from her suitcase and went to the bathroom, feeling silly for spying on him and for still feeling like she was being watched as she took off her slip and undergarments-as if he could somehow spy on her too, even though she knew full well he was busy outside the house.

Once she was under the calming spray, she began her ritual of rolling all of the muscles in her neck and shoulders to relieve some of the rising anxiety she felt (a practice from her adolescence). Hinata's mind began to drift with the steam as her body went through the motions of washing. Soon enough she was finished.

She stepped out and tied the towel securely over her chest, cracking the door to let the steam escape more quickly. Hinata lifted her leg into the sink and took out her razor when she was startled by a soft knock at the door.

"You alright, ma'am?" she heard Naruto ask.

She turned in shock to see him standing in the already open doorway and clutched herself quickly. To his credit, he covered his eyes immediately as she dashed to slam the door. Through the wood, she heard a wet-sounding, muffled "_Ow."_

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

My response to a common critique I'm receiving on this fic - -

"I agree longer chapters would be more effectual, but this is all I'm really able to get out at the moment and if I waited until I had more to post, I don't think I would ever update. My thought process was to put this out there and have incentive to keep going. Plus, in its original version, this was a little pet project between my husband and I, so the POV switches were very abrupt in the beginning as we were getting our bearings."


	12. Chapter 12

Upon nudging open the bathroom door, Naruto was greeted with a sight he'd never forget.

Hinata had one leg aloft and was bent over it-for what reason, he didn't care, because he was more concerned with the smooth expanse of exposed skin seemed to stretch forever. Well, until the edge of the towel, which barely concealed her..._uhm_...pertinent parts. The upper half of her breasts protruded from the top of the towel, as her chest was pressed against her thigh.

He observed all this in a matter of milliseconds and slapped his hand over his treacherous eyes, but the image was seared into his mind.

Next thing he knew, he felt hard wood slam into the bridge of his nose. Pain lanced through his cartilage and hot, salty-smelling liquid seeped onto the fingers that had attempted to salvage Hinata's modesty. "_Ow,_" Naruto huffed in surprise, pulling his hand away to inspect the damage.

He heard shuffling and then the bathroom door creaked open just a smidge. He could see nothing but Hinata's piercing silver stare and the midnight fringe of her forehead. He couldn't help but remember what the rest of her looked like though. "Are you okay?" she demanded from behind the door.

"I'm alright, I've had worse," he replied thickly, moving to scratch nervously at his cheek. He'd forgotten the blood though and effectively smeared it across his face. He looked down at his offending hand. "Whoops," he muttered.

Hinata sighed and he heard the bathroom door creak again. She sounded...resigned? "Come here, I'll have a look," she said in a firm voice.

Naruto shifted uncomfortably, looking determinedly at his feet.

"What is it? I promise I'll be gentle."

"It's not that," he mumbled, flicking his gaze up in what he knew was a mistake. _Definitely in over my head,_ he thought. _She's a bombshell. _How could she stand there, naked underneath _his _towel, raven hair trussed up in a tail that spilled over her bare shoulder, and tell him that she'd be _gentle_? It was too much. He backed away slowly, his left hand waving her off and his right stemming the flow of blood from his nose (blood which he was honestly beginning to wonder whether it actually resulted from the door slam or something else…). "Don't worry 'bout me."

Hinata pursed her lips and narrowed her gaze slightly, then stepped after him. She grasped his left arm and pulled him into the close quarters bathroom with her. "Sit," she commanded, pointing at the closed toilet seat. He obeyed. "I'll back in a moment," she added, then left.

When she returned, she had on a set of long-sleeved, white-striped lavender button-up pajamas. He felt silly to blush after her previous state of undress, but he knew he was never meant to see her like this either. It was intimate in a whole different way. Sakura would never stay the night, even when he cleared a drawer out just for her.

Hinata handed him a wad of tissue paper and placed her palm on the nape of his neck, applying a slight pressure. "Lean forward so the blood does not travel down your throat," she said confidently as she flexed her fingers along the base of his skull. He let slip a quiet moan and he felt her still.

"Sorry," he managed. "I just wasn't prepared for how amazing that felt. How do you know all this stuff?"

"M-my father is a neurosurgeon, my mother...was a masseuse," she supplied after a moment of hesitation.

"So magic hands run in your family?" he asked, earning a blush from her in return.

"Y-you could say that. My cousin is the eldest male in the family-he is a medical practitioner and professor at Columbia University. My younger sister is studying hard back home to eventually become a doctor as well." As she spoke, she absentmindedly ran her fingers through his hair.

"You're a professor too, right? That's why you're headed to UMA?" he asked. He wanted to keep her talking-so she would continue her ministrations, so he could listen to her lulling voice, and so he could make her less mysterious.

"That is m-my hope, yes. I've been a teacher's assistant the last five years, but tomorrow I am giving a guest lecture as a sort of audition for a tenured position."

_So that was why she was so hell bent on getting there today. Must've been nerves. _"I'm sure you'll do great! Knock 'em dead, Hinata!" he said enthusiastically, raising his head to give her a thumbs up. He felt his vision blur and his head swim in response, forcing him to quickly put resume his previous position. He heard Hinata chuckle quietly.

"I will. It's the least I could do. Speaking of which, I'll leave you to wash up and get started on dinner if you're okay now?"

"Yeah, totally fine! I'll hurry so I can come help."

"No, please, allow me to perform this task for you. I'll call if I need assistance finding anything." She bowed, which before had seemed slightly strange but now was incredibly charming. He watched her leave and close the door behind her.

Testing his wounded nose, he breathed in and smelled Hinata's lavender shampoo on the air. _I think I best take this shower cold…_


	13. Chapter 13

_He doesn't have much to work with..._Hinata thought as she inspected the contents of his pantry. _But I suppose that is to be expected when you live alone. In such a small town. _Naruto had just enough that she could throw together something simple though.

She methodically rolled up the sleeves of her pajama shirt-she hadn't planned on needing an extra lounge outfit and she definitely was not going to risk her lucky lavender dress getting spoiled before tomorrow. She reached into the pantry to start pulling out the necessary ingredients-flour, baking soda-and a few tools she could scrounge up. Her hands grew busy mixing and kneading the contents into dough while her thoughts wandered back to the man she was preparing this meal for.

Naruto was such an enigma, so different from the men she'd grown up with. Neji would have sneered at her for leaving the bathroom door open in the first place. Sasuke probably would have leered down at her, then lured her to the bedroom...Her father would have a stroke if he knew she was even here. How could she have let herself fall into this situation?

But Naruto was abashed. He'd tried to preserve her modesty first and foremost, despite the blood flowing freely down his mouth and chin.

While the dough rested, she opened the freezer to find some pork chops and set to whipping up a simple broth in a large banged-up pot.

She'd found herself in an undoubtedly compromising position, yet Naruto had managed to put her totally at ease. He'd looked so..._cute..._when he'd turned to her with his thumb up, eyes squinted, grin stretched to reveal his prominent canines, and instructed her to knock her colleagues dead. She shook her head. He clearly knew nothing about the academic world-the fierce competition, the rigorous standards, the subliminal codes of conduct-but she had still felt oddly buoyed by his encouragement. Sometimes it is not the truth of the matter, but the belief and support of the gesture, she concluded.

She retrieved two eggs from the refrigerator and put them on the stove to boil.

And the moan he had uttered with her fingers threaded through his hair...that sound had certainly stopped her short. A small shudder ran down her spine at the memory. It had just been his response to her 'magic hands,' a vestige of her mother's lessons.

Besides, he would surely have made some indication of his interest by now if he had any. He had caught her in nothing more than a towel in his own bathroom after all. Sasuke had called her a temptress for much, much less.

As she lifted a knife to cut the carrots and onions, she glanced up to find the star of her thoughts standing before her. Naruto looked like a deer caught in headlights-his crystal-blue eyes wide, his jaw slack as if he wanted to speak but had forgotten how, his broad chest on full display, and a worn orange towel draped low across his hips threatening to give her a heart attack.

"I can explain," she heard him say before she promptly fainted.


	14. Chapter 14

Naruto stepped out of the shower and tied his favorite towel around his hips, ruffling his hair with his hands out of habit. He started to stride out of the bathroom as per usual until he stopped dead in his tracks as a thought struck him. _Hinata. _

His bedroom was clear across the house. His parents had built the master suite as an addition when they found out they were expecting a baby, so the layout was odd. This had never been a problem.

Until now.

The blonde peaked out from the bathroom door to see that the coast was clear. He heard Hinata humming to herself faintly and smiled in spite of the situation. Her voice was like silk-light, pure and smooth.

Naruto crept down the hall and spied into the kitchen. She was standing at the counter, facing the window at the back of the house, confidently handling vegetables and a knife. If she looked to her left she would surely see him. But she looked very focused and if he was quiet enough…

He'd made it all of two steps when Hinata's opalescent eyes lifted to his, went wide in shock, and he blurted, "I can explain!" Then she fainted.

Naruto rushed to her side, catching her before her head could make contact with the tile. His right hand wrapped lightly around her shoulder and shook her gently. "HINATA! Hinata, are you alright?"

She stirred and blinked up at him. "Oh, don't go swooning on me now," he chuckled nervously, hoping he hadn't done too much damage to the person he was supposed to be offering hospitality.

As she became aware of her position in his arms, her eyes grew wide with alarm again and he rushed to assure her. "It's not what you think!"

At that, a flush started to creep up her neck and ears. "W-what should I think, Naruto?" Hinata asked quietly.

It was his turn to blush. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I-I just forgot to bring clean clothes into the bathroom with me," he confessed. "Not used to needing to."

Hinata nodded stiffly, her eyes staring at a place somewhere above his eyes. "May I ask why you didn't just put on the clothes you were wearing earlier until you made it to your room?"

"I used them like a bath mat," he admitted sheepishly.

Her brow furrowed and then she sighed, rightfully exasperated with him. What an impression he was making. "You could have called for me," she said matter-of-factly.

"I didn't want to freak you out," Naruto replied immediately.

Hinata arched her brow and pursed her lips in response as his words sank in. "I guess I failed on that account, huh?" he laughed.

"Perhaps," she agreed with an airy laugh.

Realizing that he had been essentially pining her to the ground for a full minute, Naruto slid his arm from behind her, rose, and grasped her hand to pull her up too.

Unfortunately, in his eagerness to help, he pulled with too much force, the momentum bringing her small form crashing flush into his. Her chest pressed into his abdomen, reversing the effect of his cold shower.

Hinata practically lept back and bowed her head, "I'm s-"

"Don't apologize!" Naruto interrupted her, waving his hands frantically in front of himself in an attempt to get her attention and lift her head. "This whole shitshow is my bad!"

Hinata gave a little snort at his language and turned without looking up at him back to the simmering pot she'd abandoned due to the mess he'd created.

Naruto took a step closer, looking over her shoulder into the pot. He inhaled and the most delicious scent hit him-pork and spices that made his mouth water. "Smells amazing!" he breathed into her ear. HInata shivered and he looked down to find her neck bare underneath his gaze. He felt the urge to place his lips to the soft, pale exposed skin.

"N-naruto, dinner will be ready soon," Hinata said quietly, her hands stilled and gripping the ladle with white knuckles.

"Mmmm," he murmured noncommittally, still transfixed by the creamy expanse presented to him.

"Were you planning to dine in your towel?" she prompted in an almost whisper.

"Right!" he exclaimed too loudly for their proximity and straightened, taking a step back from her. Clearly he needed some space. _Get a grip, _he thought as he nearly ran to his bedroom, feeling like an animal with his tail between his legs. She was something dangerous.


	15. Chapter 15

Once Naruto had retreated to his bedroom, Hinata stood for a moment collecting herself. She breathed in and out through her nose, meditating like her mother had taught her, trying to forget the way his bare chest had felt against her clothed one. He'd been so warm...and having to crane up at him made her hyper aware of the disparity in their sizes.

The broth in front of her began to boil more insistently and she remembered that she was supposed to be preparing her host a meal. She moved to the resting dough and began to cut it into long, thin strips which she then coated in flour and rolled into two nests.

With a final stir, Hinata ladled broth into two bowls, placed a nest in each, and used plates to cover them so they could steep. Next she pulled the now hard-boiled eggs from the stove and placed them in a cup of ice.

While Hinata waited for the eggs to cool down so she could peel and cut them, she took some silverware out of a drawer and moved to set places at the small kitchen table. Suddenly, hot, callused hands were gripping hers. Hinata looked up into Naruto's crystal-like gaze.

"Let me take those!" he insisted brightly, tugging the forks from her grasp. She simply nodded her head in response, eyes trained on the way a few glistening drops of water clung to his slightly flattened blond locks.

"I'll grab us something to drink, too. What would you like?" Naruto asked, voice muffled inside the fridge. "More tea? Milk? Uh...beer?" He glanced back at her sceptically. She'd been known to indulge in sake at family dinners and had grown used to the crisp aftertaste of champagne at Sasuke's mixers, but felt she needed to keep her wits about her with Naruto. He was dangerous.

"Water is fine. I find it best not to detract from the flavors," she answered, finishing up with the eggs and garnishing the dishes with them. She lifted both bowls and headed to the small table while Naruto grabbed two glasses and filled them under the tap.

When he finally sat down across from her, he was salivating. "This looks amazing! What's it called?" he asked, already moving to shovel in a mouthful of noodles.

"Miso ramen," she answered, then whispered a quick "Itadakimasu," before digging in herself. The broth hit her with a welcome, soothing heat. The perfect antidote for the strange nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach that her host seemed to cause just by his presence.

"So," Naruto began in between long slurps, "why are you gunnin' for this job in particular?"

Hinata let slip a small giggle at his behavior. Dinner was usually a quiet, utilitarian affair in her household. But she could adapt. "I thought a change of scenery would be nice," she confessed, moving a lock of hair to her ear and blowing on her next bite.

"Change from where?" He asked around a mouth full.

"Just outside of D.C. in Virginia," Hinata replied, blowing on her next bite.

"Seems like an exciting place to be!" Naruto responded, shooting her an assured smile.

"Hn." She supposed it could be, but hadn't found much excitement _per se_ in all her family's time there since immigrating. No, excitement was not quite the right term.

Naruto looked up from his struggle to spin noodles onto his unwieldy fork. "Or...maybe not?" He probed, sensing her hesitancy to agree with his assertion.

"I have found it very difficult to be around my family lately. My father is displeased with me these days." _Always._

"I can't imagine anyone could be mad at you for long! Besides, family is too important to let the little things come between you." His voice grew soft in the way that let her hear the gravel in his tone that was so particular to his speech. It set off a surge of warmth inside her chest, despite the accompanying twinge at his optimistic words.

"He is angry because I broke off my engagement," Hinata explained, her gaze diverting from his.

"Oh." The silence between them lasted for only a moment before he asked, "Why did you do that? Was he too short or somethin'?"

Hinata glanced back up to see him stretching his arm above his head in a seemingly innocent and casual gesture. She smiled slightly. "I was happy to wed Sasuke—" he deflated a bit at this, "—even though it was an arranged marriage," she finished.

"People still do that? Arrange marriages?" One corner of his upper lip perked up in tandem with his eyebrow to express his surprise.

"My family is very...traditional," she hedged. "But in the end I discovered that his feelings were not so fastidious as mine."

Naruto's left eyebrow vanished beneath his long unkempt bangs. "Fastidious?"

"Faithful," Hinata replied with a flush.

Soon his right eyebrow flew up to join the other. "That bastard!" Naruto slammed his fist down on the table, making her jump.

_Which one? _she thought ruefully. "As you might imagine, I think time and space will help smooth things over." She smoothed the tablecloth under her hands as if to reassure herself that this would indeed be the case.

"You shouldn't be driven away because of what that jerk did! And what kind of idiot would cheat on _you_?" Naruto's voice rose in volume but his pitch grew dangerously low. "If you were mine—" he emphasized this with another fist on the table, until he seemed to realize what he'd said, his jaw stopping work in an open-mouthed clench and then ever so slowly closing to swallow the words that might have finished his sentence.

Hinata sat there with her fork poised in front of her mouth, frozen, eyes unblinking as she stared at his lips coming together like his secret's gatekeeper. If she were his... _If I were yours... _She quickly shifted her gaze to her bowl, heat creeping into her cheeks at the thought of belonging to the blonde embodiment of sunshine in front of her. To have so much light in one's life must be almost blinding.


	16. Chapter 16

Hello! If you are following along with this story, I want to say THANK YOU! I fully plan to continue and finish this story because it very near and dear to my heart. NaruHina was my first otp ever in any fandom.

Unfortunately, I don't think I am going to continue posting the story here on FFN. If you want to follow along, I'll be posting exclusively on Archive of Our Own from now on.

Also, if you want to talk to me on Tumblr or Twitter, my name is the same!


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